Island



(No Model.)

G. W. VOELKER. CLOTH PRESSING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 30

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. VOELKER, OF IVOONSOCKET, RIIODE ISLAND.

CLOTH-PRESSING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,700, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed October 31,1889- Serial No. 328,859. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. VOELKER, of W'oonsocket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-Pressing Machines; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in rotary cloth-pressers in which the cloth is pressed and finished by passing the cloth around a revolving cylinder while the cloth is pressed against the cylinder by the presser-blocks.

In pressing and finishing cloth it is essential that the presser-blocks press with practically the same pressure against the cloth at all points in contact with the cloth, for each bearing or pressing contact forms a pressing as well as finishing or ironing surface. It is thereforecustornary to usetwo or more presserblocks around the rotating cylinder.

The object of this invention is to so construct the face of the presser-blocks that the same will each have two points of contact with the cloth on the cylinder. 2

Another object of this invention is to so construct the journal-bearings of the cylinder that the cylinder will yield to the presserblocks, so that all the pressing-contacts will press with equal pressure against the cloth.

The invention consists in the novel form of the face of the presser-blocks, consisting of two segments of circles, the radius of each of which is greater than the radius of the rotating cylinder.

The invention further consists in the novel construction of the sheet-metal face-lining of the resser-blocks.

The invention also consists in the pivotal support of the rotating cylinder and in the peculiar and novel construction of the levers supporting and operating the presser-blocks, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the presser=blocks in contact with the cylinder. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the presser -blocks separated from the cylinder.

Similar numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in the drawings.

The number 5 indicates one of the frames of the cloth-pressing machine. Two of these frames are used, one at each end of the machine.

6 is the cylinder jonrnaled at each end in bearings formed in the upper part of the post orsupport 7 which is pivotally connected with the frame 5 by the bolt 8, so that the cylinder can swing from side to side. This capacity to swing is limited by the flanges 9, projecting from the face of the frame 5. They form oppositely-inclined checks or stops, by which the motion of the cylinder is limited.

The presser-blocks 10 and 11 are pivot-ally secured to the arms 12 by the pins 13 and bear against a rounded bearing. on each of the arms, which, with a slight looseness in the fit of the pins 13, permit of sufficient rocking T I motion to automatically adjust the presserblocks to the cylinder when they are pressed against the same or when the cloth is ,on the cylinder.

The arms 12, with their downward extensions 14: and 17, are secured on the pins 15, and these pins are strengthened by means of the links 16. As shown in the drawings, one of the arms is secured in such a fixed position that when the cloth is inserted in the machine and the cylinder bears against the face of the resser-block on the fixed arm the center of the cylinder will be slightly to one side of the center of the bolt 8, and the cylinder will have a tendency to swing away from the fixed Presser-block and follow the movable presserblock until the side of the post 7 comes against the stop formed by the flange 9.

Any one of the many devices used in the 0 arts to move one end of a centrally-hinged lever, so as to exert pressure with the opposite end of the lever, may be used to move outward the lower end of the extension 14: of the other or movable arm and exert pressure upon the cloth on the cylinder. As these devices form no part of my present invention, I have only indicated the well-known screw-jack in the drawings, which consists of the two bosses 19 and 20, projecting from the frame 5, the gear 21, secured to the screwspindle 22 and turning with the same, and the nut 23, secured to or .forming part of the arms 2t, which arms are secured to the lower end of the extension let by a pin secured in the arms 24 and extending through the slot 25.

The faces of the presser-blocks are formed of two concave sections each of a radius greater than the radius of the cylinder, so that each presser-block has two points bearing firmly against the cloth, while the center of the presser-block does not bear on the cloth. The sheet-metal plates 27, usually secured to the opposite edges 25 and 26 of the presserblocks, I secure to the strips of metal 28 and form a groove in or near the center of each of the presser-blocks, into which the strip 28 fits, and I secure the strip with screws to the lugs 29 at the ends of the presser-block. As the central portions. of the presser-blocks. do not come into contact with the cloth, thesheet- .metal face-plate 27' may be secured to the face of each of the presser-blocks by screws. By this. construction the plates 27 are free toexpand w'mhout bulging, which is not. the case when they are secured at opposite ends.

Having thus. described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A presser-block for a cloth-pressing ma chine, the: concaved face of. which is formed of two circular arcs, the radius of each of which is greater than the'radiusof the cylinder.

2. Thecombin-ati'on, with theconcaved face of a presser-block for a cloth-pressing machine,,.of a sheet-metal lining secured tot-he .presser-block along the center of the concave.

3. The combination, with the concaved face of a presser-block of a cloth-pressing machine, having a groove formed along the center of the concaved face, of the sheet-metal plate 27 and the strips 28, embedded in the central groove and secured to the presser-block, as described.

4. In a cloth-pressing machine, the combination, with the presser-blocks, of a cylinder journaled' in a support pivotally secured to l the frame of the machine, as described.

5. In a cloth-pressing machine, the combi nation, with the cylinder journalcd on a support pivotally secured to the frame of the machine, of the flanges 9, forming stops limiting the movement of the supports and the nation, with acylinder journaled in a pivotcd support, a stop limiting the movement 'ofithe pivoted support, and a presser-block supported on fixed arms, of a presser-block supported on levers pivoted so that the weight of the prcsser-block tends to move the same away from the cylinder, and whereby when the resser-blocks are pressed against the cloth on the cylinder the center of gravityof the cylinder is on one side of the center of the support of the cylinder, the cylinder thereby having a tendency to move with thepresscrblock supported on the pivoted lever when released, as described.

GEORGE \V. VOELKER. Vtitnesses:

J. A. MILLER, J12, M. F. BLIeH. 

